Peanut-harvester.



No. 669,908. Patented Mar I2, I90].

' r G. W. WILLIAMS.

PEANUT HARVESTER.

(Application' filed Dec; 18, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 sheetsw-sheet z.

O/YVENTOR WITNESSES:

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IINrrno STATES PATENT Orricn.

GEORGE W. WILLIAMS, OF NEWVILLE, VIRGINIA.

PEANUT-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,908, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed December 18, 1900. Serial No. 40,285. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newville, in the county of Prince George and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPeanut-Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in peanut-harvesters; and it isespecially intended to cover certain improvements upon my Patent No.639,691, granted December 19, 1899.

In the peanut-harvester invented by me there is a main frame mounted ona pair of wheels drawn by one or more horses, preferably a pair. Carriedby this frame are, first, one or more plows to dig up the peanuts, withcorresponding rollers to keep the plows at the required depth, withmeans for throwing the plow or plows and adj ustment-rollers well abovethe ground, as desired, as in transporting the machine from place toplace; second, on the same frame I also mount a pivoted carrier, onwhich the peanuts, vines and all, are taken, while the dirt is separatedfrom the nuts, and, third, I also attach to this frame adumping-platform, which is intermittently cleared of the accumulation ofpeanuts, vines, &c., but which platform may be omitted, if desired.

My invention will be understood by refer ence to the accompanyingdrawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same lettersthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a plan View of the machine, the draft-pole beingbroken away. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of theparts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view in detail of the lowersprocketwheel for the carrier and shows the manner of keeping thejournals of the said wheel clear of dirt.

A represents the main frame of the machine, projeeting forward, as shownat A, and then bent in the form of a yoke to engage the draft-pole ortongue A The plows R, having shanks R with adjustment-holes W, arepivoted to the part A of the main frame, and

may be set at the proper distance above the bottom of the plow. Theseshanks S are also pivoted to the part A of the frame A and are connectedby links Tto the plow-shanks R, and the latter are connected by thelinks T, slotted, as at t, to the pin 15, fast to the part-A of theframe.

The hand-lever U is pivoted on the frame and has a ratchet and pawl U tohold the same in any desired position. The lower end of this levercarries the roller it, which engages under the plow-shank and throws theplow forward out of engagement with the ground when the hand-lever ispulled backward far enough. By means of this hand-lever the plow androllers S may be moved forward to vary the depth the plow goes, or theyboth -may be thrown entirely clear of the ground, as would be the casewhen turning at the end of the rows or when transporting the machinefrom place to place.

When the plow is out of operation, the clutch O is also thrown out ofoperation by means of the hand-lever D, and then the machine travels onthe wheels B, like an ordinary vehicle. This hand-lever D is mounted ina guide-slot in the plate (1, fast to the frame A, and has aratchet-and-pawl arrangement (2 to hold it in the desired position. Theclutch G is normally in engagement by means of the spring E. The axle Bof the traction-wheels B carries the sprocket-wheel F, fast to onemember of the clutch G',and over this sprocket- Wheel passes thesprocket-chain G, which drives the sprocket-wheel H on the shaft H. Thisshaft H carries a gear-wheel 11*, meshing in the pinion I on the shaftI. The said shafts I and H have one end journaled in the bracket A fastto the frame A. On the opposite side of this frame A the shaft 1 carriesa sprocket-wheel liengaging the sprocketchain K, which turns thesprocket-wheel Lon the shaft L.

M represents a slatted carrier having alternate slats provided withcurved picker-teeth m, which teeth pass between the fingers r of theplows B. This carrier is driven by the sprocket-wheels I on the shaft 1and passes over idlers P at the opposite end of the carrier, whileidler-pulleys N and N may be provided to prevent the carrier fromsagging. The sprocket-wheels I and P are mounted in the frame 0, whichis pivoted at 0 to the brackets A fast to the main frame A, and thisframe 0 may be lifted by means of the rods 0 and bell-crank lever 0having the usual ratchet-and-pawl arrangement 0 so that the relativeheight of the lower end of the carrier'as regards the plows may beregulated. The tension of the carrier is adjusted by means of theslotted plates P, adjustably connected by means of the clamp-screws p tothe frame 0. In these plates the journal 19 of the wheel P is mounted.In order to protect this journal from dust or dirt, I preferably makethe ends p of the plates P in the form of a saucer projecting inwardinto an annular groove in the sides of the sprocketwheel P, as shown inFig. 3; but this feature is not a necessary part of the invention andmay be omitted, if desired.

Spanning the frame 0 are the tie-beams O and to one of these I pivot thepounder Q, carrying the blocks q, adapted to strike the sprocket-chainat either edge of the slatted carrier, but not to strike the slats. Thispounder is pressed toward the carrier by means of the spring Q, and thepounder is operated by means of the tripper I fast on the shaft 1, andas this shaft revolves this tripper strikes the end of thepounder-lever, drawing the blocks back and then releasing them, whilethe spring Q causes these blocks to strike the sprocket-chain and shakethe carrier, when much of the dirt adhering to the peanuts drops throughthe openings between the slats. After the peanuts and vines pass overthe upper end of the carrier they fall onto the platform V, secured tothe frame A in any convenient way, as by means of hooks, (not shown,)and the brace V of this platform has sloping sides V, beneath the loweredge of which run the sprocket-chains W, between which is mounted one ormore scrapers W This scraper, traveling with the sprocket-chain W,intermittently passes over the platform V, pushes whatever there may beon this platform onto the gro n nd, and thus the peanuts will be dumpedin piles. If, however, it is desired to allow them to fall on the groundas they come from the carrier M, this platform, with the parts carriedthereby, may be taken off of the machine.

The sprocket-chains W are run by the sprocket-wheels L on the shaft L,and they are kept taut by means of the adjustable journal-bearings w andclamp-screw w, in which bearings the sprocket-wheels W are mounted.

The operation of the device is as follows: The machine being taken tothe field and the plows lowered in the position shown in Fig. 2, theclutch O is put into engagement, and as the machine is dragged ahead theplows plow up the nuts, vines and all, and they are carried onto thecarrier, where the vibrations of the carrier shake off much of the dirt.They are then dumped either directly on the ground or allowed to fall onthe platform V, which in the latter case would be hooked onto themachine, and would be scraped off therefrom intermittently in piles, tobe then gathered up from the ground in the ordinary way.

It will be seen that I have arranged the plows so that they may beinstantly operated. Thus one plow may be raised to clear stones or otherobstructions while the other plow is plowing, or if it is only desiredto use one plow at a time the other plow may be thrown up out ofengagement. In the same way the platform V may be taken off or put onthe machine, as may be desired.

The plows and rollers S, as also the height of the lower end of thecarrier, may be varied at will. In fact, the machine permits of manyrapid adjustments called for in the work of the class it is intended todo.

It will be obvious that various modifications may be made which could beused withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of a plow pivoted to said frame, a roller mountedin front of said plow with a shank also pivoted to said frame, a linkconnecting said plow and the shank of said roller, a slotted linkconnecting said plow and said frame, a hand-lever for throwing said plowand said roller clear of the ground when desired, and a carrier locatedimmediately in rear of said plow, substantially as described.

2. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of plows having shanks pivoted to said frame,rollers mounted in front of said plows with shanks also pivoted to saidframe, links connecting the shanks of said plows and said rollers,slotted links connecting said plows and said 'frame, hand-levers forthrowing said plows and said rollers clear of the ground when desired,and a carrier located immediately in rea'rof said plows, substantiallyas described.

3. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of plows having shanks pivoted to said frame,rollers mounted in front of said plows with shanks also pivoted to saidframe, links connecting the shanks of said plows and of said rollers,slotted links connecting said plows and said frame, hand-levers forthrowing said plows and said rollers clear of the ground when desired,and a carrier located immediately in rear of said plows, with ahand-lever for'adjusting the height of the end of said carrier next theplow, substantially as described.

4. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of a plow pivoted to said frame, a roller mountedin front of said plow with a shank also pivoted to said frame, a linkconnecting said plow and the shank of said roller, a slotted linkconnecting said plow and said frame, a hand-lever for throwing said plowand said roller clear of the ground when desired, and a pivoted carrierlocated immediately in rear of said plow,with hand-operated means foradjusting the height of said carrier, substantially as described.

5. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of a plow pivoted to said frame, a roller mountedin front of said plow with a shank also pivoted to said frame, a linkconnecting said plow and the shank of said roller, a slotted linkconnecting said plow and said frame, a hand-lever for throwing said plowand said roller clear of the ground when de sired, a carrier locatedimmediately in rear of said plow, and mechanism operated byone of saidwheels for driving said carrier, substantially as described.

6. In a peanut-harvester, the combination with a frame and wheelssupporting the same, of plows having shanks pivoted to said frame,rollers mounted in front of said plows with shanks also pivoted to saidframe, links connecting the shanks of said plows and said rollers,slotted links connecting said plows and said frame, hand-levers forthrowing said plows and said rollers clear of the ground when desired,and a carrier located immediately in rear of said plows, and mechanismoperated by one of said wheels for driving the carrier, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

W. E. BOISSEAU, A. H. BARKER.

